I love this kind of game reviews with multiple opinion. I don't have to watch 5 videos for different opinions

+ I really did enjoy Spring Spectacular. I watched as much of it as I could, and it added joy to my day. Thank you, and you enjoy your days off.

At the end of Tom’s Caverna discussion: “I don’t know... but look at all these sheep!!” That actually made me laugh out loud. 😄

'Mombasa' is Alexander Pfister's best design and he's absolutely one of the best board game designers ever. The fact that it combines area control with deck building with worker placement with stocks and does them all perfectly is mind boggling. One of my Top 20 games for sure.

How does Zee always manage to have the game being discussed *within arms reach* ? Amazing

I think The Fox in the Forest would be a good introduction to trick taking games. It is one of the few two player trick taking games, so a good one to practice and learn without the pressure of a team/group setting.

It takes a village to raise a gamer and that is why I adore these top 10 lists. Well done, guys. I found Chris’s comments to be thoughtful, insightful, and nuanced...and that his ability to articulate the discretely technical in digestible bites is a thing this channel has been missing all these years. I can’t stress enough how good it felt to have that at the table. Plus, he comes across as a genuinely good guy who isn’t pulling a power-play even as he elevates the level of discourse WHILE course-correcting due to Zee’s good-natured jabs. #TeamChris

I'm not going to search through all the comments already made, so there is a solid probability that I'm going to repeat something already said. I REALLY hope that Chris has followed what is CLEARLY his calling. The man has the MOST amazing voice. He should use this super-power for radio. TRULY Amazing! An announcer or narrator...SOMETHING!

Great stuff! Here's my count: I've played 8 of the games on Roy's list. Just 3 of Chris' list. 6 of Mike's list, 5 of Zee's and 8 of Tom's. And I agree with most of the picks, I wanna play them at least once!

My #1 is Tsuro...easy to explain and understand for gamers and newbies alike! So much fun! We play it as a warm-up nearly every game -night!!! It takes little or nothing to learn and the table talk is great!

You guys ragging on each other and each other's picks are my favorite parts of these videos. Much better than stiff list videos and shows real friendships. 🦖

Great and fun lists to watch all around! Really aligned with Chris's list - keep up the great work!

Shadows over Camelot: why, oh why, is this game out of print?

Chris is absolutely spectacular! Great explanations and good humor with the group.

Zee’s shrimp po boy line was hilarious!!!!!

Zee's reaction is spot on when Tom mentioned Magic The Gathering (same for Roy's reaction). And nowadays it's even gotten worst. I tried it, bought a 30euro deck and 10 years later I probably spent over 15.000 dollars on a bunch of cards. MTG is the best card game without a doubt, but it's the most dangerous to get into when you care about your money.

Thank you for including Puerto Rico, Tom. It's a great game that everyone should play at least once.

I love your top tens, but this has to be the most interesting and diverse of anything I've seen from the Dice Tower. It's spectacular, Spring Spectacular.

Captain Sonar: Truly a unique experience and while I won't play it often I won't ever forget the experience and the interaction.

Millennium Blades. It’s such an amazing experience.

What a great video and fun way to end the Spring Spectacular! Good lists from everyone. I think I may have gone the route of Tom of games to extend out your categories of games you play/tried. Two that come to mind are: 1. Azul as a good jump into Abstract but pretty enough where non-abstract gamers would enjoy 2. The Gallerist as a jump into heavier gaming because it has WP which is familiar to many, but has a very good interweaving of resources and paths that have to be simultaneously managed. It also has a pretty good solo mode that is easy to manage.

I’m with Chris on Hansa Teutonica. Absolutely try it once. It’s a fantastic game. Edited: Also Hansa Teutonica > Catan, and I love Catan and it’s inclusion in this list.

Loved this! Love to see you guys enjoying yourselves and the slightly different takes on the list.

This was an awesome video, very good lists and back and forth with the guys. Chris brings a new perspective for the Dice Tower and I look forward to seeing his picks in future videos. 😁

I think it's great that the guys went for stuff like Twilight Imperium, MTG and DnD. Because if they had gone with all the simple, light to mid weight games... then this list would have basically been just another top ten essential games or top ten gateway games. So thanks guys for the more daring entries!

I am playing Viticulture as I watch this video. I'm new to Viticulture and _man_ am I loving it.

Love the Ethnos pick and some of Zees top picks! Also think Mike is on to something with Catan not necessarily being the holy grail of “gateway” games for people coming to the hobby now. Would love to see that evolution or timeline based on the year someone entered the hobby.

If Tom would put caverna on the list there’s nothing wrong with Mombasa being on the list. Mombasa might be an easier first experience of a heavy game.

I was gonna be shocked if no one had said MtG, thank you so much Tom

I really enjoyed this one. I learned I need to play more games. I really hope all 5 of you will be at PAXU in December. It would be so great to see you guys.

Great list guys! I liked the different perspectives.

Great list. Highly enjoyable discussion!

Great list, well delivered by all. Cheers gents.

Loved the commentary on magic. I play and am new to board games! Glad to hear there is overlap with them

Thanks guys! I’ve finally bitten the bullet and ordered Dominion Big Box 2nd Edition! Btw I liked Chris’ list the best and Mombasa is one of my favourite Pfeistner games - a must play. 😉

100% agree with Zee. Catan hooked me 15 years ago.

love Zee's number 10 played it TONS as i was a kid with my father and his friends and i'm grateful that they didn't really go easy on me but gave insights AFTER the games. i HATED losing, but it didn't push me away, all i thought was what should i do to get better which, thinking about it now, seems damn impressive for a kid.

Great lists... D&D and Magic? Why not? I like those choices... reminding people that the hobby is diverse and interesting :) Thanks guys!

This was a great top 10 was very fun! Nicely done.

I am going to try Mombasa. Thanks Chris!

The blind card selection in Broom Service is great and it makes the game not be a dry euro! You have to think what your opponents want to do as well! I really like the mind games of blind bidding and blind action selection in general.

As soon as I saw this list i thought about twilight imperium

Fury of Dracula or another one vs all hidden movement style game I think everyone should play at least once. It's such a good experience!

So this is technically a Top 50 Games everyone should play.. Awesome!!!

When Tom tee-ed up his #9 as "much-maligned", I was expecting Monopoly.

I got through this list and only bought 2 games. I consider that a win.

I back up Mike on his pick of TI. It's not really in my wheelhouse, but anyone who even dabbles in gaming has at least seen it in their FLGS and wonders about it. It's that experience of the game that Zee mentioned, even if you find you find that you don't like it. Not to mention that it meets the title of this video perfectly. Thanks for the video and the entire Spring Spectacular!!!

Holy crap! Didn't expect Cryptid!!! Love it Zee!

For me, the Top 10 Everyone should Play Once would be based on things that do something fairly unique in showing what games can do (particularly for the non-hobby audience), so in no particular order: 1 - Ninja Dice - a push your luck dice game with minimal down time, and also the uniqueness of the dice position mattering 2 - Hanabi - for the reasons that Zee stated 3 - Fog Of Love - for the way it handles a complex subject and doesn't have a simple win condition 4 - Flip Ships - a co-op dexterity game, which gets a lot out of a simple structure 5 - Wings Of Glory - a dogfighting game with lots of complexity hidden under the hood allowing for a very smooth game 6 - Millenium Blades - a really smart use of real time rounds and a great balance between the collecting aspect and the tournaments 7 - Chronicles Of Crime - The app makes great use of the physical components to make for a great way to handle a crime case 8 - Potion Explosion - The way the marbles are used is fascinating, and turns what looks quite gimmicky in to a game with a surprisngly satisfying depth 9 - Sagrada - just as an example of what can be achieved within fairly simple design constraints 10 - Deception: Murder In Hong Kong - a game where the social dynamic carries the fun, more than the more normal board state which is the case for conventional games

Chris' "left-field" picks seem more in line with a literal reading of the list title.

I love Chris list! Even though Zee was giving Chris a hard time about Chris's list and how Chris approach his list. I found Chris list more useful to me because I was Chris's audience for the list. Zee's lists was for an audience that I was not a part of.

Loving the dynamic of everyone together. Chris was humble in his answer to Zee and I appreciate all the various viewpoints in this video. Definitely a very unique list that was a pleasure to watch. Thanks for your hard work during Spring Spectacular!

Roy is right about how addictive magic can be. I remember magic being despised by rpg groups because people got hooked on it & that was all they wanted to play. If you could just get a few starter decks &/or play an online style with only a small expenditure then great but everyone I've ever known went deeper into their pockets than they planned.

Broom Service. Very good choice. Most people can't imagine, how fun this is. Maybe because of the theme or it looks too simple. One of our favorites.

I agree w/Roy Rhino Hero love to try this since I love Jenga. With Chris's picks I'm kind of glad that he put some older games on here. I don't think I've ever play them love time stories & chronicles

As a chess player, it distresses me that @10:40 the board is set up wrong, the black king and queen need to be switched.

Just getting back into the hobby after a few months off (mental health does weird stuff sometimes) and fun to get back to watching you all's content!

Great picks, Tom. Magic was my lifestyle game that I played semi-competitively off-and-on for half my life. I became intrigued about modern board games after I played Catan with some friends and it blew me away. Didn’t realize board games could be more than Risk, Monopoly, Clue, etc. Fast forward to this year and Caverna was the first medium-to-heavy game I played and I fell in love. It opened up the world of Uwe games, worker placement games, heavier games, and Euro-style games in one fell swoop.

I'm with Chris on World's Fair

Mike is correct regarding Catan, I have met so many gamers who never tried it. It is a classic that deserves being on the bucket list.

Catan is a have to game..... very classy..... we start to play "Die Siedler von Catan" (original german name) in '99. helped us all on the last weekend of the month when nobody had money to go out and party anymore. we were all apprentices or students and hat to track money for the month.... so there was always a chance to find somebody to hang out and have a "cheap" night ^^

The diversity, experience and chemistry on this panel is unlike anything in the industry. Keep it up DT!

I have some friends that love Mombasa and Hansa Teutonica, and I've always been very meh about them due to the complexity and look, but maybe I should give them a try.

The games that I have never played but I think I'd like to play (just? at least?) once are: 1) Twilight Imperium 2) Cosmic Encounter 3) Dune 4) Axis & Allies 5) Viticulture 6) Caverna 7) Concordia 8) Shadows Over Camelot 9) Seasons 10) Splendor

Fun interaction between all 5 of you.

I don't know how anyone can think Hansa Teutonica is dry. I've introduced it to a group of three new gamers, one of which is ten years old, and they all loved it. One of the most animated and fun gaming experiences I've had.

Very surprised Tom didn't bring up QE... such a different game and super cool experience. Also think Hanamikoji for I split, you choose... It just make me think so hard.

I saw the one Dice rabbit at the beginning, didn’t notice what was happening until number three and then it was so funny I restarted the videos.

Great list guys. My number 1 would be El Grande.

Legacy games might feel pricey for a one time experience, but taking the family to the cinema and buying drinks and snacks and tickets costs more. And I have never played a legacy game in less than 7 hours.

I’ve tried many of these, but Chris convinced me I need to try Broom Service. Not something I expected from this list.

Great video. Good interactions even though some of the comments towards Chris seemed a bit harsh from Zee and Roy.

In relation to Tom’s selection of C&C Ancients over Memoir, another factor that a lot of people seem to overlook: my main gaming group is made up of friends from my synagogue, which means that the vast majority of WWII war games are immediate non-starters even though none of us personally lost anyone in the war because asking a Jew to play as the Nazis is an extremely tough sell

Love seeing all of the Ethnos love! Also, Gizmos is one of my favorite games of all time.

Bold choice for Roy to go with Charades for #10!

For me:- Paris Connection/ Chicago Express - Paris connection is a blend of social deduction and quick playing train game. I do not think everyone will love it but no-one will dislike it and it does a great job of introducing people to 2 different genres. This in terms can make 18xx more approachable. Also I think many people skip Winsome style train games and go straight for 18xx which really is something that will work well with a much smaller group of people. Many people who like economic euros or interactive area control games might really love what Winsomes offer. If they want something a bit heavier than Paris Connection then Chicago Express is a great start point or the visually appealing Capstone reprints Pandemic/ Forbidden Dessert - I think coops are a good thing to try - they work for people competitive games dont and often offer solo options when you want to game and others dont. Also Pandemic has been hugely influential in terms of design and you see 90% of coop designs use a similar format of AI does stuff that hurts you, you take your actions. So you kind of see how other designs are constructed when you see this Tichu/ Franks Zoo /Haggis - if you like trick taking games then maybe give climbing games a try. Tichu is one of the very best but needs a few games to get familiar with. But it does offer so much compelling and fun gameplay in a little box and you can play it with standard cards if you have 4 jokers. If you want something a bit less serious/lighter and bit more quirky then Franks Zoo is a great alternative. As is Haggis if you have 2-3 players rather than 4 (or 5 for Franks Zoo) Watergate/Pax Pamr 2nd edition - I love it when games add some history and simulation to them - they are not for everyone but good to try and also try games with different interaction. Pax Pamir 2nd edtion is best 3-5 but solid 1-2 it is quite expensive though but well worth trying. Watergate is a 2 player, more accessible game and whilst its not the most thematic / immersive its easily to learn than Twilight Struggle Dominion - a great game and whilst I think modern deck builders are a bit less dry and also represent better value propositions Dominion gives you an understanding of deck building that can help with other more modern versions. For my money its the best Santorini/Yinsh/Blooms - modern casual abstracts are great and these are good examples - even if chess bounced off you or you want something that is not such a commitment to learn Catan - classic game and whilst I dont think without an expansion it has as much replayability as I would like it is still fab and well worth trying. Few games have this much negotiation in such a streamlined package. If you dont like any negotiation then maybe pass, otherwise try Magic the Gathering - few games have their own active player communities that mean you can get regular play with just 1 game but magic like chess and bridge and dominoes does. And magic is great online on board game arena and its a fantastic free to play experience. Well worth checking out even if you and a mate sidestep into a dueling card game that works for them better Castles of Burgundy - embrace the beige - I like how the game looks but its not exciting. Mechanically it is really fun and endlessly replayable. For those who do not need games to look like toys or always tell thematic narratives this is a game people should try. Quartermaster General - interesting team game - best with 6 and lots of fun - try it and see Most gamers though do not need a list of games to try once, they need to be reminded that some games take multiple plays to shine

My personal pick is Whitehall Mystery; a fantastic semi-cooperative hidden movement game that everyone should try. Chess is an interesting choice. There is something fascinating about it even if it feels so dry. I, too, need to try out Caverna at least once. Dixit is one I agree everyone should try. Cosmic Encounter is fascinating because it's very different from other games and holds up so well for a game from the 70s and I'm so glad I've tried it. If you want more elegant Pandemic, the obvious choice is Forbidden Island (or Desert), since it shortens and streamlines the experience. Dominion, Mandala, Codenames and Carcassonne are all games surely nobody could ever just play ONCE. ;) And Hanabi is a game you HAVE to play more than once. (We stop the game when we know we've lost a game of Hanabi, which is house rule I was taught when it was first introduced to me, but for me it's now an essential rule.)

Great top 10 really liked the differences in games and the meaning of what some should play once....For me Escape curse of the temple should be on the list just for the uniqueness and the real time. Everyone should try a real time game just once to see the chaos and team work. And 5 minute games could be added as well.

I’ve played about 3/4 of these suggestions (I even own a crokinole board), but I’m now even more motivated to fill in the blanks. Great diversity of opinions here.

Pandemic Legacy is amazing! I only played Season 1. It was such a satisfying experience.

In my opinion the best trick taking game is Friedemann Friese's Stich-Meister because of its ever-changing-rules. It never becomes stale while still staying totally accessible because there aren't very many rules active at the same time!

Love the banter in these videos. Chris, seems like great guy, value his opinion, seems like he picks the quintessential boring game that I always pictured board gamers playing. I remember when Magic started and I never got in to it due to the fact of buying random cards for a game, just to big and random for me. As a 40 year old looking for different games to play with my kids I never got in to a lot of hardcore board games. I feel board games are a better way than video games to spend time together.

Mike's list was really well though. A really good and objective list of what anyone new to the hobby should try at least once

nice list there

I really like how Tom, Zee, Chris and Mike work together as a group! They are funny and well versed and generally fit great together! :)

100% with the misconception of RPGs, Tom. Growing up I was led to believe all RPGs were LARPing; it wasn't until that episode from the first season of Venture Bros. that I realized "Wait, it's just friends hanging out, rolling dice, and playing a game???"

great list

Wich program did you use for this?

Catan Carcassonne Ticket to Ride Tikal ... would definitely be on my list.

Go Chris with Through the Ages!!!! That would be my #1 game everyone should play at least once. Long and epic and great decisions to be made throughout the entire game. Like or dislike, you'll be thinking about it for days afterwards.

I think Broom Service is overlooked only in the US, it did win the 2015 Kennerspiel des Jahres, which means it sold a lot of games, probably more than many others on this list.

It's say play 'the Crew' or 'Fox in the Forest' (with 2) as your first trick taking game

Here I am late to the party, but I loved these lists ! Before I started watching I predicted I would have played most games in common with Zee and least with Roy. I was correct on Roy's list (I played 6 out of his 10) , because he's way younger than me and grew up differently in the boardgaming world and feels chaotic, so that made sense. I was kind of correct with my 2nd prediction but it was a tie with Mike and Chris (I played 8 out of their top 10), and if you rank most games in common towards the top of the list, then I'm most like Chris ! I played X games on their list : Roy 6, Chris 8, Mike 8, Zee 8, Tom 7. Total 27 our of 39 unique games on their lists ! Of the 12 games I didn't play yet I will never play D&D, the rest I would give a try. I like when things move along in games, and D&D is the slowest gameplay in existence I think, it's just not for me, no matter how great the dungeon master might be. I did however play Werewolves with a great moderator, and despite being eliminated 2nd in a group of 20, I would try again in the same circumstances. The game I absolutely agree the most on of their lists is Las Vegas. I didn't get much hype in the video, but that game I recommend literally to everyone interested in boardgames.

Shadows Over Camelot is hard to get a hold of? I didn't know that. One of the first games I got.

My list in no particular order: Dominion

This video reminded me just how special Cosmic Encounter really is. I describe it as getting all the tension, alliance making/breaking, and epic stories of a long Risk-style game, in just minutes rather than hours, and with the levity and light atmosphere of a party game. It's wonderful and unique, and I can wait to finally be able to get a big group together again to play Cosmic.

My list would have Captain Sonar, Food Chain Magnete, Dune, Fury of Dracula, Chinatown, Twilight Imperium, Chronicles of Crime, Awkward Guests, Zombicide, and Clank!

Funny enough, after watching this, the game I want to try the most is Mombasa!

Agree with Mike about Catan; I think there are lots of people who haven't played it. I have played board games for years and own many complex ones, and only just played my first game of Catan last month.

Loved the rabbits multiplying